No suds when shampooing

Shampoo will not foam and barely comes out at all when i try to use it. I've checked the screen in the hose, and it is clean. Manual says sponge filter and cap must be in place, but i cannot find where on the vaccuum that this is located.

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Re: no suds when shampooing

The sponge filter is in the large opening on the underside of the kirby shampoo tank. It is where the shampoo tank connects to the kirby. The cap the manual is referring to is the shampooer tank cap. It looks like a cup.

If the mesh screen in the hose is in place (try pulling it out of the hose and seating it in the tank where the hose connects.) and you're still having very little suds...(I'm assuming you're using Kirby shampoo as well)...I would suggest going slower when yours "laying down suds". And lower the shampooer head all the way to its lowest setting. I have found if there are a lot of oils in the carpet, the emulsifiers in the shampoo break down quickly and make the suds "disappear".

Be sure to go back over the carpet with the tank in the off position to scoop up any excess moisture. If excessive oil (from cooking, barefeet, and pets are main causes) is the cause of the lack of suds, numerous shampooings will rectify that situation.

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Start with the hose OFF the tank (make sure small filter is in place).Fill the tank with water and KIRBY DRY SHAMPOO (other shampoo's wont foam) then turn the vacuum on. At this time the shampoo will come out as a stream of foam. If the shampoo come's out as liquid then you will need to check the tank. If shampoo was left in the tank ,then the pick-up hose inside the tank my be colgged. These are hard to un-clogg so replacement of the tank may be needed.

This is unused shampoo attachment. We buy new parts and assemble this shampoo attachment so you will be the first one to use it.
Set includes:

Tray with shield

Nozzle

Brush roll

Belt

Container with cap

Hose

12 oz. shampoo

NOTE - pictured Kirby Sentria shampooer box may not be included.
If you have never used this shampoo, we highly recommend reading our ONLINE MANUAL. This is a simple but very effective unit but you have to learn how to use it and "common sense" will not be enough!
HOW TO - V I D E O S

Tank with soapy solution is attached in place of the bag. It utilizes the air coming out of the exhaust to blow soapy water on a small screen that turns it into thick foam. The foam is simply laid over the carpet (you must vacuum before you shampoo). Foam allows the spread of a small amount of water over the area so carpet is not soaked all the way through. Foam is left on the carpet for a few minutes so it has just enough time to moisten the fibers of the carpet and loosen the dirt (not too long otherwise foam may dry). Then foam maker is set to "OFF" and you slowly pull Kirby vacuum over the area where you laid the foam. The rotating brush in the shampooer nozzle rubs the moisture off carpet fibers and and throws it into the tray in front of the unit. You will not see gallons of dirty water but that is because you did not put it on the rug in the first place. Carpet should dry within 1-4 hours (depends how many times you laid the foam and what is humidity in the room). After it dries it has to be vacuumed. Solution that did not get picked up with the shampooer brush dries and shampoo additives do not let the dirt stick back to the fibers of the carpet. It is loose when it dries so in order to pick up what is left, you must vacuum again.
Shampoo:
You can use any carpet shampoo sold in your local store but make sure that this is carpet shampoo that makes foam and pay attention how much you have to dilute it with water as various shampoo products come in different concentration. Avoid using "just anything" that makes foam. Some household chemicals (such as dishwasher fluid) will do great job but it will leave carpet unprotected so dirt will stick to it so well that you will have a filthy rug in no time. Kirby Vacuum Shampooer

Hooking up the foaming device simply blows foam into the job. Here is a shortcut which I find more convenient on my G4 tools. If you have the rotary upholstery shampoo kit, you can just attach the rotary tool to your hose. Then mix your kirby suds into a household spray mist bottle. If you happen to have a mist bottle with a screen on the intake straw it will foam your suds not quite as well as the kirby device, but this way you can store the suds in the spray bottle for future quick use. kirby suds are designed to be used as foam not liquid so a foamer in the spray bottle helps the process. You do not want to soak the furniture, just apply a light mist and scrub with the air driven shampoo tool on the hose. Then allow to dry and vacuum 24 hours later.

First a short explanation of how the Kirby shampoo system works: Kirby uses a “Dry Foam” type of shampoo. Basically, it spreads a shampoo foam solution on the surface of your carpet. This foam needs to stay on the surface of the carpet until it is completely dry (usually 1 to 2 hours depending on temperature and humidity) As the foam dries, it soaks up grease and dirt. You then vacuum the carpet and up comes the shampoo residue along with the absorbed dirt and grease. It does a very good job on the surface but will not extract stains from the bottom of the carpet or carpet pad. Several other brands such as Electrolux, Hoover and Koblenz make Carpet Cleaning machines that use the same system. So, you’ve read your manual, you’ve removed the carpet cleaning nozzle and the bag assembly from your Kirby, you’ve installed your shampoo tank and carpet shampooing nozzle tray and you start to shampoo but all you get on your carpet is a puddle of soapy water and no foam. Here’s a few things to look for:

Make sure you are using a Dry Foam Shampoo(preferably Kirby) and NOT an extraction shampoo, the Rug Doctor shampoo you had left over from your last rental will not work.

Make sure you have the correct mixture. If you are using Kirby Dry foam shampoo you simply fill the tank with water and put a tank cap full of shampoo in with the water. You can use other brands of “Dry Foam” shampoo, but the mixture ratio may be different, so read the label first.

Don’t reuse last year’s leftover mixture, it’s probably no good.

Make sure a family member didn’t pour any leftover mixture back into the empty shampoo bottle - further diluting a mixture will not produce any foam.

Don’t use shampoo that’s seen extreme temperatures.

Check the tank and make sure that the sponge filter is in place and if it is in place that it is not deteriorated. The sponge filter is located under the tank at the point where you attach the tank to the hole that you removed the bag assembly from.

Check the hose that runs from the tank to the nozzle. It should have a screen in the end that attaches to the tank (older models had a cloth screen with a metal retainer, models after 1989 have a 1 piece metal and plastic screen.

MY FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT BRAND OF SHAMPOO ARE YOU USING??? KIRBY IS NOTED FOR REQUIRING ONLY, KIRBY SHAMPOO. PART OF THE REASON IS THAT THEY HAVE A UNIQUE FORMULA THAT WORKS SPECIFICALLY WITH THE KIRBY.
THE OTHER POSSIBILITY IS THE DISPENSER IS PLUGGED AND NEEDS A REAL GOOD CLEANING. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING THE FOAM TO THE CARPET, YOU NEED TO GO REALLY, REALLY SLOW.
THE NARROW BAND OF SUDS DOES INDICATE YOU MAY BE MOVING THE DISPENSER TOO FAST. GOOD LUCK.

there is a little plastic round piece with a mesh screen that should go on the hose part of the shampooer that connects to the tank...make sure that its seated properly since it's this mesh screen that produces the suds

If your trying to shampoo your carpets but the water flow is to weak and it trickles through the spout to the carpet leaving small puddlesThis problem often occurs when the foam filter is not replaced after rinsing or ends up in the shampoo hose at an angle preventing foaming. If you take the small shampoo hose of the shampoo tank the filter should be on the tank, if not, it may have come off and be in the hose. If it’s not there locate it, likely in the area where you last cleaned the shampooer or in the box, and put it back on the tank. While this should be cleaned after each use, care should be taken to replace it and not lose it.The problem may also occur if you don’t actually add the Kirby Dry Foam Shampoo to the water or if you use some thin else.Take care to also clean and replace the air filter after rinsing. It is located under the shampoo tank where the tank fits onto the vacuum.